For many technically savvy people, the act of building a website is easy. A little bit of time researching how to work a platform like WordPress or some experimenting with a book like websites for Dummies and before you know it a fully functional platform exists, complete with content or a payment gateway integration for e-commerce. It all seems so easy. But for many that are where it stops, beyond this they simply don’t know how to take it to the next level, and that, of course, is making sure that the site is not only fully functional and open for business but that it also has people coming through its doors (metaphorically speaking of course). So, if you have a site but you are battling for audience, here are a few tips to help you increase your numbers.
Don’t expect it to be easy
There is a reason that big sites like to acquire other sites. In short, they are buying the audience because they recognise that this is one of the easiest and fastest ways to increase traffic. It seems like cheating and perhaps it is, because the reality is, if you don’t have the cash to buy audience then you need to invest a lot of time and effort. It is a slow process and without a doubt it is a process that will require input from experts. Start by engaging with an SEO company Sydney has a few world-class agencies you could work with. These are people fully versed in the art of optimising for search. They will help you with a strategy that will make your site more discoverable on platforms like Google, which is probably the most important place to generate new traffic.
Use your own networks
If you can’t rely on your friends and family to support you, then who can you rely on? Currently, most people have well developed social media networks on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Do not be ashamed to leverage your network to build and drive traffic. The power of social is huge and it has the ability to easily amplify a message. If ten percent of your friends share your platform and ten percent of their friends do… soon you are reaching a massive audience.
Incentivise
Do not be afraid to build an audience through bribery and incentivisation. This sounds dodgy but it really isn’t. What we mean is, look to host competitions or giveaways. For every person that signs up to receive your newsletter, they will receive a discount on their next purchase. Or follow you on Twitter and stand a chance to win a case of wine. It doesn’t need to be big or expensive, just give people a reason to follow you and they almost certainly will.For more clever ideas to get Twitter followers, check out the Twiends guide linked above.
Quality is important
Quality web content that is regularly updated is always an incentive for users to return. So, make sure that you are committed to regular updates. If your users start to realise that nothing ever changes on your site, then they will stop returning. For them, what is the point of coming back if they have seen everything that there is to see already?
